Chepstow pair jailed after ‘vicious’ hammer attack

11:42am Wednesday 12th March 2014

TWO men were jailed after a “vicious attack” using a claw hammer and wheel brace during a brawl in a Chepstow street in the middle of the day.

Richard Waymouth, 24, and Jonathan Williams, 30, appeared in the dock together at Cardiff Crown Court after they were caught with the weapons in the boot of the blue Audi they had followed the victims in.

On November 29 last year, Tia Vincent was driving her new boyfriend Peter Wright back to Chepstow along with two other passengers when they noticed a car following them which they recognised as belonging to people they had a dispute with.

Trying to avoid the car Ms Vincent, who had been in a brief relationship with Waymouth, pulled in to Channel View in Bulwark, where the Audi stopped behind her. She and her passengers got out of the car as Waymouth and Williams, both of Raglan Way in Chepstow, also got out and came towards them, wielding a claw hammer and wheel brace.

David Pugh, prosecuting, said: “Ms Vincent asked Richard Waymouth what his problem was and he pushed her to the floor. She got back up. He gripped her to the throat using a considerable amount of force.

“Richard Waymouth then swung a hammer repeatedly at Michael O’Connor’s head. Some of the swings connected. Ms Vincent tried to stop Waymouth from swinging the hammer and the defendant said, “You can have some as well.

"He struck her to the left side with the hammer, around her hip area. In the meantime Jonathan Williams was fighting with Peter Wright. Jonathan Williams managed to pull Mr Wright’s coat over his head and as he did this he used the wheel brace to strike him to the back. Prior to that they had traded punches and the defendant’s face had been bloodied."

Peter Wright’s father had seen his son being attacked with the wheel brace and fetched a golf club which he brought out to his son. Wright took the golf club and walked towards the Audi, which then drove off.

Neighbours on the residential street saw this happening at around 1.30pm in the afternoon and called 999.

When police arrived they found the victims of the affray “very agitated” and noted injuries including a red mark on Ms Vincent’s neck and “very nasty” bruising, while Michael O’Connor’s face was bloodied.

When arrested the defendant’s gave “no comment” interviews but later admitted their guilt.

Nigel Fryer, defending Williams, said his client had been “in the wrong place at the wrong time” and said the offence had not been pre-planned but was a chance meeting.

Recorder Richard Booth QC said: “This was a vicious attack on two men and a woman who got out of the car. This all happened in daylight in a respectable, residential Bulwark street.”

Williams was given an extended prison term of 27 months in prison with nine months on licence and Waymouth was given two years in prison.